Secret Admirers
by labyrinthofsuffering11
Summary: The Doctor loves Rose, Rose loves the Doctor, right? Fluffy and angsty little drabbles into the lives of Nine and Rose on the TARDIS. I haven't decided whether some will be AU, like he never died or not yet.
1. Chapter 1

_It was my turn to dig again._

The Doctor rubbed his eyes groggily and stretched. He must have really needed that sleep. But why? Suddenly, with a pounding ache, his body reminded him why. He was aching from head to toe, and he groaned as he realized he still had to go back to that blasted garden Rose had insisted they start.

It was his mistake to tell her to go to the library while he did some slight repairs to the console. He figured she would be caught up in Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, even, but never Gardening 101. Of course, that's what she chose.

Rose told him while they were searching for the perfect room to start planting, that she had dreamed of growing her own plants and vegetables since she was a little girl, but they had never had the space at the Powell Estate. How could he resist her jabbering? Even if she sometimes annoyed him, she was still his pink and yellow human.

The TARDIS had provided a perfect greenhouse, equipped with everything Rose would need. However, she had failed to mention before that she wanted the Doctor to help her. If he would have known that, he would have never agreed to help her search. Then again, he suspected his ship was on Rose's side.

They spent all day yesterday in the dirt, Rose talking to him nonstop to try to distract him from the pain in his knees, in his legs, everywhere. Thank God he hadn't had to dig, or else the Doctor was sure he would have blisters all over his hands this morning. But today? It was his turn.

The Doctor pulled his pillow over his large ears, and tugged his duvet as high as he could, turning away from his door. Maybe if he pretended to be asleep, Rose wouldn't bother him. Then when she went to the garden, he could hide somewhere until dinner. No such luck.

"Doctor!" she called from his door. "Come on, I know you never sleep in this late. Time to work on the garden, yeah?"

The Doctor sighed, pulling the pillow from his head and throwing it at her playfully. "How about a visit to Midnight instead?"

"Nope. Not today. Tomorrow maybe!" she exclaimed, bouncing happily on her toes.

He gulped as he saw the outfit she was in today. A pair of overalls and a purple tank top. The overall shorts were tiny, exposing inches upon inches of smooth legs, and one strap was undone, hanging off her shoulder…

"Doctor, are ya in there?" Rose teased, smiling her tongue in teeth grin, and causing the Doctor to shake himself from those thoughts. He was a dirty old man. She was an innocent young woman, and she trusted him. This caused him to feel so guilty that he jumped right out of bed, a grin on.

"You said you wanted to plant a garden?" the Doctor asked, holding out an arm for Rose to take. She giggled, and her cheeks turned the most delightful shade of pink.

"Why yes, my Doctor." He smiled at that phrase. My Doctor. She never said my Mickey, or, he shuddered, my Adam. He was thankful she had never given that good-for-nothing the time of day. Although, why she asked him to travel with them, he would never know. He told her pretty boys were trouble, and look what happened!

Rose led him through the greenhouse door, and he dreaded having to bend down again.

"Alright, let's get to work!" she exclaimed, bending over, with, he noted sulkily, seemingly no pain at all. The Doctor sighed, and lowered himself as gently to the ground as possible. He let out a grunt of pain, and held his leg muscle. He didn't realize it hurt so much until he got on the ground.

"Are ya sore?" Rose asked amusedly.

He turned his head towards her, lifting his chin to appear fine. "Nah. I'm always fine."

She raised an eyebrow and looked at his hand locked around his leg muscle. "Just stretching then?" Rose smirked.

"'Course," he said roughly, picking up a trowel from the ground next to Rose. He carefully dug out just a few grains of the dirt at a time, so as not to hurt his already aching muscles.

"Can ya go any faster?" Rose asked. "I kinda wanna be done before Christmas," she teased.

The Doctor grumbled to himself, and put more pressure behind his dig, wincing as a fresh wave of pain traveled up his arm. He dropped the trowel, and clutched his arm in pain.

"Are ya sure you're not sore?" she asked, looking concerned now. "We can take a rest today. Read in the library or somethin', yeah?"

"No!" he said quickly, causing her to look at him in surprise. "What I mean to say is, look what happened from you readin' already." He pointed at the space around them sulkily.

"Not much of a green thumb?" Rose asked.

"I prefer to buy," the Doctor admitted. "My parents, they-" He dropped his eyes to the ground, the memory getting pushed further back into his mind.

"What?" she prompted.

"Nothing, never mind." The Doctor picked the trowel back up, stabbing it into the ground and ignoring the pain in his arm. Maybe if he had just learned to be a farmer, his planet would still be there. He didn't complain anymore for the rest of the day.

"Dinner?" Rose asked, a while later, and his mind told him they hadn't eaten anything all day. He scolded himself for not stopping for Rose to eat. He was hungry, which must mean she was famished. "I'm sorry, Rose," he apologized. "I am stupid. I forgot that humans need to eat more often than Time Lords." S

he placed a hand on his arm, causing him to lose his breath for a dizzying moment. "It's okay," she reassured him. "I wasn't too hungry. Trust me, I'd tell ya."

He nodded, dropping the trowel.. He winced as the pain in his hands became noticeable for the first time that day. The Doctor's hands were covered in huge blisters. "This sort of stings," he said.

Rose hopped up on her feet, and held out a hand for the Doctor. He gently placed one inside of hers, and pulled himself up. She turned his palm over to examine it.

"Those are some nasty blisters, yeah?"

"A bit," the Doctor shrugged. "Let's go see if we can find somethin' in the kitchen."

Rose looked at him another moment before nodding, and entwining their fingers together.

...

She insisted they go to the med bay for something to heal his blisters.

"I'm fine," he told her.

"Just do it for me, please?" she asked, and he couldn't say no to that.

The Doctor rummaged in his medical cabinets for a few moments before he found what he was looking for.

"Let me," Rose said gently, holding out her hands for the supplies.

He obliged, handing her the cream and the ACE bandages. "Put some of this on, and I'll be good to go tomorrow," he promised her. "All healed."

She nodded, motioning for him to sit on one of the metal cots. He gingerly sat down, and looked at her. Rose was concentrated on her task, tucking her hair behind her ears and untwisting the cap. She squeezed out a generous amount in her palm and gently touched his hand with it. The Doctor hissed in pain, and she recoiled like he had bitten her.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "Keep goin'."

Rose nervously moved towards him again, taking her wrist in her unused hand carefully, and rubbed the cream onto the blisters of his right hand in clockwise movements. She was careful, precise, and made sure every area of his hand was sufficiently covered. She would make a good doctor, he observed. Rose did the same to his other hand and started wrapping his hands with the bandages. She didn't ask where the safety pins were, she just knew. She reached into the jar behind her and pulled two out, quickly fastening the bandages in place. She placed a quick kiss to each one, flushing red and rushing out the door. The Doctor let out a breath he hadn't been holding, and wondered what had just happened.


	2. Chapter 2

_What is the first feature you notice?_

Sometimes Rose came into the Doctor's bathroom to get ready for bed. He always followed to keep her company. He was fascinated by her routine, but the thing that always had him staring was her hair.

Such beautiful, golden hair, even if it was dyed or not. He wondered about it frequently. How soft was it? If she did dye it, how did one do that? How did her hair smell?

The Doctor sat on the edge of his bathtub, watching Rose brush her teeth.

"What?" she asked, her speech garbled by a mouth full of toothpaste.

"What?" he asked, blinking out of his reverie.

Rose held up a finger to signal to wait a second. She spit her toothpaste in the sink. "You were starin' at me, and not talkin'," she accused.

"I was just lookin' at ya," he told her. "I'm fascinated by humans," he admitted to her.

She looked at him strangely before reaching for her hairbrush.

The Doctor sighed, running a hand over his shaved head. He was a mess. What was he doing?

Rose brushed through the wet strands of her hair, carefully removing the knots from one section before moving on to the other. She saw him staring again. "D'you wanna brush it?" she asked, holding out the hairbrush to him.

The Doctor's breath caught in his throat. He cleared it. "Uh, sure." He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and walked across the bathroom to her. "D'you, uh, wanna sit down?" he offered, pointing to the toilet. "More comfortable, and easier to reach your hair."

"Alright," she shrugged, doing as he asked.

The Doctor followed her, taking a deep breath before taking a strand in his hands. _Oh._ It was softer than he had even imagined. He shook away the thought, and focused on the hairbrush. He moved it through the right side of her hair, stopping and moving gently like he observed her do at the tangles. Her hair smelled like roses and strawberries. It couldn't be anything disgusting like pears?

He sighed, brushing through all of her hair until it was extremely smooth and soft. ''D'you dye your hair?" he blurted out.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Uhm, it's just, your hair is uh, pretty. Ya know, for a human. I was just wondering if ya were born with it that color."

"Oh. Yeah, my hair was this blonde, and then when I got a little older it turned dirty blonde. I had to dye it after that," Rose told him.

"Oh, well. It's...nice," he offered.

"Thanks," she said, looking at him quizzically.

"Yeah."

"D'you know how to braid hair?" she asked.

"Hmmm?" he asked.

"Braid. I usually braid it after I brush it. But you could do it, ya know, if ya want."

"Oh." The Doctor looked down at his hands. "I learned a long time ago. I don't know if I know how anymore."

"How do you-"

"I had daughters, and a granddaughter," he told her.

Rose placed a hand over his, causing him to look at her. "You don't have to braid it, if you don't wanna."

"No," he shook his head. "I'll do it. D'you have ties?" She placed two small ties in his hand silently. The Doctor looked at them for a while. He looked at Rose's hair. He thought as hard as he could to try to remember a braid. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity in his mind, he separated her hair in half.

For a moment, he was back on Gallifrey and he was braiding someone else's hair. Someone long forgotten. He didn't realize how much he needed domestics so much, but he knew why he hated them. Because of this feeling right now, the feeling that his heart might break in two because he remembered all the children on the planet that night. He needed to push through.

He went to one side, and separated the hair into three sections. He carefully placed the right piece over the middle piece, like he was afraid he might make her hair fall out. Then he placed the left piece over the middle piece. It seemed like the braid he remembered, so the Doctor kept on. He worked quickly after that, tying her braids with the ties she had given him.

"All finished," he beamed at her, and she grinned back at him.

"Thanks."

"Sure," he said.

"Ya know, I wouldn't mind, if ya wanted to do that sometimes?" Rose offered, shrugging at him. Was she serious? He contemplated his answer. "

Yeah," was all he said.

Rose nodded and left his bathroom, padding quietly into her own bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

_Why is the song playing in the background so special?_

The Doctor thought he was mistaken at first. He thought he heard a muffled cry come from Rose's room, but then told himself he had imagined it. However, when she went into her room earlier, she was still upset about her dad.

He clutched his sonic screwdriver in his hand and walked slowly down the hallway towards Rose's room. There was no mistaking it now, an audible sniffle came from her door.

The Doctor rushed towards her door, knocking quietly. "Rose? Everythin' okay in here?"

There was no answer just more of a muffled cry. There was a song playing. What was the song? The Doctor listened more closely.

It sounded distinctly like Have I Told You Lately by the Earth singer Van Morrison. Why was it making her cry?

The Doctor frowned, lost in thought. Was it an ex boyfriend? In that case, maybe he'd better leave her alone. But what if it was about her dad?

He sighed, tugging on his leather jacket for support. He opened the door quietly and walked in.

The sight he was greeted with was not was he expected.

Rose was curled up on her bed, hugging a silky pink pillow, which was stained with big patches of tears now. Tissues were strewn about in every direction from her body, the patterns radiating out from her eyes. A fresh tissue was balled in her fist, and her shoulders were shaking.

The Doctor didn't think, he just rushed over to her side, gathering her in his arms.

"Rose? What is it? Are you alright?"

She tensed in his arms for a moment, before relaxing into his chest and sighing. "I didn't want ya to see me like this. I feel pathetic."

"You? Pathetic?" the Doctor laughed into her hair. "Rose Tyler. You have seen the end of Earth, you've almost died in 19th century Cardiff, you thought of a way for us to survive a nuclear bomb, you reprogrammed a Dalek, and you saved your father's life, just to name a few. You're very low on the list of pathetic, I think. So, come on, what's brought this on?"

"My junior prom," Rose mumbled into his chest.

"Prom?" he asked her. "Isn't that some kind of dance? Why would you be cryin' about that?"

"Because," she told him sharply. "I was invited to prom by the most handsome bloke in my grade."

"Oh, poor thing," the Doctor rolled his eyes.

"I'm not finished," Rose swatted his arm playfully. "Anyways, his name was Patrick Carmichael. He left me a note in my locker, tellin' me that he would meet me at the last slow dance of junior prom." She paused, let out a shaky breath, and shook her head. "He was datin' Suzanne Phillips at the point, so ya think I would have sense. But I was stupid, and young, and naiive. So, I told my mum. He wasn't a Powell Estate boy, so she didn't know who he was datin'. She got all excited for me, doin' my nails, gettin' me a nice dress, doin' my hair. I thought I was pretty, for once. Mum drove me to the school, and I was shakin' so much I thought I would tumble out of the car. But I didn't. I went in, took a bunch of pictures with my friends, and danced until my feet were sore all night. Then, the last slow dance of prom Have I Told You Lately, I waited in the middle of the dance floor, couples all around me dancin', waitin' like an idiot for Patrick. I saw him, dancin' with Suzanne and they pointed and laughed at me. 'Oh, that Powell Estate girl actually thought you were going to dance with her!' They howled with laughter. I ran out ashamed, tears streamin' down my face. I told my mum I was goin' to Shareen's because I didn't want her to have to see me like that."

"So, when it came on, you started cryin'?" the Doctor asked gently.

Rose bit her lip and nodded.

"Well," the Doctor said, getting up and extending a hand towards her. "It would be my pleasure, Miss Tyler, if I could have this dance."

Rose blushed, and took his hand, allowing herself to be pulled up. "You know this is a love song?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I want ya to have happy memories to this song," the Doctor insisted, pulling her closer to him.

They adjusted their hands to the right places, and they started shuffling back and forth. Rose rested her head against his chest.

_Have I told you lately that I love you?_

_Have I told you there's no one above you?_

_Fill my heart with gladness,_

_Take away my sadness._

_Ease my troubles, that's what you do._

"Doctor?" Rose asked, looking up at him.

"Yes, Rose?" he replied.

"Did ya mean all that stuff about me not bein' pathetic?'

The Doctor looked at her sincerely. "Of course, Rose Tyler. You're the most important pink and yellow human in the universe to me."

Rose smiled, leaning her head against his chest again.

_Oh the morning sun in all its glory,_

_Greets the day with hope and comfort too._

_And you fill my life with laughter._

_You can make it better,_

_Ease my troubles that's what you do._

"Ya know," the Doctor sighed. "You're not-what I mean is-" he sighed, trying to think of how to phrase it.

"What?" Rose prompted.

"You're not that Powell Estate girl. You're better than any of them will ever be, I can tell ya that, for a fact," the Doctor grinned, tapping his head.

"Can ya tell me, how they turn out?" she asked.

"Nah, I shouldn't."

_There's a love that's divine_

_And it's yours and it's mine_

_Like the sun at the end of the day_

_We should give thanks and pray to the One_

The song ended, and the Doctor walked over to turn off the radio. He placed a kiss to Rose's forehead, causing her to gasp in surprise, and the Doctor to want to hit himself for doing something so foolish.

"Ya want a cuppa?" he asked. "I figured ya might want one after…" He gestured with his hands vaguely.

"My dad, yeah. That'd be lovely. Wait a minute," she said, grinning. "Are ya doin' domestics for me?"

The Doctor huffed. "It's just a cuppa."

"Are we gonna have beans on toast, too?" Rose teased, slipping her tongue between her teeth.

"We're gonna have nothin', if ya don't shut it!" he said sharply, before cursing at himself.

Rose's face dropped. "Sorry. Tea is lovely, thanks."

He nodded, and closed her door. He leaned against the door, collecting himself for a few moments, before heading into the kitchen to make the tea. He would make it up to her for that outburst, he would.


	4. Chapter 4

_No one cries over spilled milk._

Something was really wrong with Rose. The Doctor knew that almost immediately. Usually as soon as they got back to the TARDIS, she would ask if he wanted to watch a film, offer to make popcorn, or sometimes, she would ask if he could read to her. But not tonight.

All the color was gone from her face. She looked like she might burst into tears at any moment. He thought. What had happened that would make Rose this upset?

Was it the fact they almost died from a nuclear bomb? No, that couldn't be it. She hadn't cried about any adventure since she saw the end of her planet. Was it the fact that her mother could have been killed? The Doctor stared at her.

Rose's lip started to tremble, and he had the urge to sweep her into his arms and kiss her. He shook his head at himself. Now was definitely not the time to be thinking anything remotely close to that.

"I dunno about you, but I wanna cuppa," she said to him, her voice sounding raw and rough. Had she been crying before they went back to the ship?

She walked slowly to the kitchen, and the Doctor followed closely behind her. Usually, he would complain about the slowness, but he didn't mind tonight.

They reached the kitchen to find the tea already prepared for them, and he felt a rush of gratitude for his ship. She knew what Rose needed. A small pitcher full of milk and the sugar container were beside the two steaming mugs, and Rose rushed over towards them.

He saw her hands were trembling, and he was about to go over and pour the milk for her, when Rose dropped the entire thing on the floor with a crash.

The Doctor immediately grabbed the paper towels from the counter and bent down to clean up the mess. Rose buckled on her knees and started sobbing into her hands.

"No one cries over spilled milk, Rose," he said gently, trying to make her smile or even laugh.

This only succeeded in making her cry harder. He sighed at himself for sounding stupid, and he put down the paper towels. The Doctor went over to Rose, and wrapped her in his arms.

"D'you wanna tell me about it?" he asked.

A great big sniff came from his jacket, and it was probably getting ruined, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that his Rose felt better once more.

"D'you remember when we were all in the livin' room at my mum's, and Mickey was makin' a joke about us bein' together?"

The Doctor frowned. Was she crying because she never wanted anyone to think they were together? "Yes," he said nervously.

"Well, then ya remember he said somethin' about me makin' ya another Jimmy Stone?"

He thought, and then the moment came back into his mind. A brief look of hurt had crossed Rose's face and then she had been silent for the rest of the day.

He thought she had just been upset over the day's events. Oh, he was so daft. There obviously was something wrong with this joke Mickey made.

"Yeah, what's wrong with Jimmy Stone, Rose?" the Doctor asked, fearing what the answer might be.

Rose sighed. "Before I start this, I just wanna say there's a reason I didn't tell ya about him before. He was a right bastard, and I don't want ya to do anythin' stupid, okay?"

Anxiousness filled his veins. What was so bad about this man that he would do something stupid? Had he hurt Rose? The thought made his blood boil, but he quickly pulled himself together. She didn't want him do anything, and so he'd better promise before he couldn't.

He nodded. "Okay, promise I won't."

A look of relief washed over Rose's face, and she leaned her full weight against the Doctor now. "When I was sixteen," she began, "my mate Shareen convinced me to get a fake ID with her so we could go dancin'. We didn't care about the alcohol, we just wanted to dance with handsome, older blokes. So, we went to this shifty little place, paid a guy fifty bucks, and we were totin' around our cards. I told my mum I was spendin' the night at Shareen's one Friday and we got all gussied up, went to a place called The Venue. Some local band was playin' that night, and Shareen was determined that we would dance with them."

The Doctor went rigid, he could already tell where this story was going to end up, and he knew he wasn't going to like it.

"The guitar player, he took an interest to me. After they played their few songs, he offered to buy me a drink. I told him I only wanted a Coke, and he laughed like I was the funniest thing on the planet. 'I mean a real drink, love,' he said. So, I thought about what my mother drank. 'Margarita,' I said, and he nodded. While he was gettin' the drinks, I went to talk to Shareen, but her tongue was already stuck down the singer's throat."

He made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat he hoped she didn't hear.

"I started gettin' anxious, like I had to do the same. I had to blend in. So, he came back with the drinks, and I gulped mine down outta pure nerves. I asked him if he wanted to dance. We seemed to hit it off, he introduced himself as Jimmy Stone, and he called me Rosie. We made a date for pizza a couple days later. We started to date. I thought he was so cool because he was 23 and had a band. He kept promisin' me they would get picked up by some big record company and make it big in America, like the Beatles. One day, he said he was leavin', wanted me to go with him. I said I couldn't 'cause of school and my mum. 'Guess you don't love me, then,' he said, with hurt in his eyes. And so, to make him know I did, I quit school right before A-levels. Pissed my mum off, took all my stuff, and hopped on the first plane to America with him and the band."

The Doctor was surprised she had traveled before, with someone other than him. Jealously surged inside of him as he wondered what exactly she did with Jimmy Stone.

"Things got worse in America. No one wanted to pick the band up for a record deal. Jimmy started drinkin', he became violent to his bandmates, but never to me. They kicked him out, and he took me with him. We stayed at cheap little motels, mostly, after that. He asked me to, you know-" her face turned bright red, "-but I said no. Well, he had been drinkin', and wouldn't take that as an answer. He-" she started crying, and the Doctor could piece together what had happened after that.

"And then he beat me until I passed out, he took all my money. I called my mum, I couldn't think of what else to do, and I cried on the phone for two hours straight. She said the first thing I had to do was call the police, and then get myself to a hospital. When I was discharged, she would send me the money for a plane ticket back home. She was nicer than I deserved," Rose paused, put her head in her hands. "I was mad at Mickey for makin' the joke because it was like he was sayin' you would hurt me, or take advantage of me, and then leave me stranded and heartbroken. I know you wouldn't, and I know he didn't mean the first two parts, but it still struck a chord."

"Did he apologize?" the Doctor asked sharply.

Rose nodded, "Just before we left. He realized how bad off I was about it. But my mind had already started thinkin' about everythin' that happened."

"It'll be okay," he told her, stroking her hair. It would be. He would never let anything like that happen to her ever again.

He stood up and gently picked her up off the ground, cradling her in his arms like she was so fragile. They walked in silence to her room, her head resting against his chest, sniffling.

He opened the door and set her down gently on her bed. "D'you want pajamas?" he asked.

She shook her head, and blushed pink, looking down. "But could ya tuck me in?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her question.

"Ya don't have to," she said quickly, panic filling her eyes.

"No, it's...fine. I will." He nodded and moved towards her. "Into bed, then."

Rose crawled under her sheets and pulled them up towards her sheet. "Okay."

The Doctor tucked the blanket around her, until she was secure. "How's that?"

"Perfect," she assured, a small grin escaping her lips. He couldn't help but grin back.

He brushed some hair back from her face. "Sleep well, Rose Tyler. We'll do somethin' fantastic tomorrow."

"Don't we always?" she asked.

"Yeah," he beamed. "Yeah, we do."


	5. Chapter 5

_Does not know how to do something simple._

Rose woke with a start. A loud crash had sounded from the kitchen, as well as a loud slew of curses, that sounded strangely like another language.

Sighing, she pushed the covers off her body to investigate what the Doctor could have done this time, and if it was worth waking her from her sleep.

She followed the noises to the TARDIS kitchen, and she grinned. The Doctor must have burnt something. She knocked quietly.

"Doctor? Is everythin' okay?" Rose asked gently.

The noises stopped, and she suspected he was going to act like nothing had happened.

"Fine, Rose. What are ya doin' up? It's earlier than ya usually get up."

She grinned and pushed the kitchen door open. "Well, I got woken up by a noisy Time Lord."

She giggled at the sight before her eyes. It was obvious at the position of the toaster that the Doctor had yanked it from the wall and either threw or kicked it. A silver tray was laying on the counter like it was waiting for something to be placed upon it. There were a few pieces of toast charred beyond recognition laying on the ground, and the Doctor stood in the middle of it, looking sheepish.

"Were ya tryin' to make toast?" she asked him amusedly.

"Maybe," he mumbled.

"And ya burnt it?" she asked, a smirk forming on her lips.

The Doctor huffed. "It was the TARDIS' fault, not mine."

However, Rose was guessing it wasn't because a few seconds later, the Doctor winced and clutched his head.

"Okay, it wasn't her. It was me," he admitted, looking sulky.

"It's okay," she said.

"No, it's not," the Doctor grumbled. "I was tryin' to make ya breakfast in bed, and I can't even make toast right. I told the TARDIS I wanted to do it myself."

Rose had started laughing now in earnest. She held the table for support.

"What is so funny?" he asked grumpily.

"I can picture that argument," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. "No one ever taught ya to make toast? It's the simplest thing in the world. I would have thought way too simple for Time Lords," she said, grinning her tongue in teeth grin.

"Toast," the Doctor said simply, "is beyond me."

"D'you want help?" she asked.

"It's supposed to be breakfast for you," he insisted.

"So?" Rose shrugged. "Doesn't mean I can't help. We can eat together still."

The Doctor sighed. "Alright. I suppose help wouldn't hurt."

Rose smiled and carefully picked up the toaster. She placed it back on the counter and plugged it in. "Next time, let's not take it out on the toaster, yeah?"

The Doctor ignored her, taking the bread from the breadbox, and walking over to her. He placed it in her hands. "Here. All yours."

"Thanks." Rose took a knife from the utensil caddy and sliced a few pieces off the end. "Now," she began instructing, "the first thing to remember is the slices can't be too big, 'cause otherwise the bread will toast unevenly."

The Doctor nodded, watching her hands.

"Right, after the cuttin', you place the slices in the toaster, and you choose the right settin' for how the person likes their toast. For example, I like my toast a nice brown color, but not burnt. What about you?" Rose turned to him, waiting for his answer.

"Uh, lightly toasted, I suppose."

She nodded, and turned back to the toaster. She dropped the slices into the slots, and set the dials to the right setting. "So, mine will be on 4, and yours on 3."

The Doctor's eyebrows furrowed like he was trying to figure something out. "Okay."

"Now, we wait for the toast to pop out, and we butter it." Rose leaned against the counter, facing towards the door. The Doctor did the same, except he crossed his arms.

They waited in silence, until they heard the pop! of the bread coming out. Rose turned back towards the toaster, and placed the slices on the plates the Doctor already got out.

"And that's it!" she announced.

The Doctor looked at her incredulously. "Are ya sure ya aren't a wizard or somethin'?" he asked. "Because I tried everythin' with that toaster, and they still came out blacker than the night sky."

Rose shrugged. "Ya just haveta practice." She placed the plates on the tray, and grabbed some orange juice from the fridge. "Ready to eat?"

The Doctor nodded eagerly. "I'm starved."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Thank you to artsoccer, WhovianTitanPotter, and Allygirl loves her shoes for the follow/favorites :)

_Stranded on a rainy night._

It was all his fault, and now they were going to die of pneumonia. The Doctor had told Rose about how green the trees and how bright the nature was on the Natura planet, _and it was so fantastic, they had to see it_.

Well, look at where that had got them. The Doctor supposed he should have looked at when the next rain storm was passing through, or even had them carry a poncho. There was an explanation to how all the flora on Natura was bright and green, of course, and that was the rain.

Big, fat drops of it, unfortunately.

At first Rose had shrieked in surprise, and the Doctor braced himself for the famous Tyler slap that never came. She shrugged and giggled, saying she supposed that was part of the adventure. Why couldn't he be as laidback as her?

He, on the other hand, grumbled the entire walk, keeping his head down, and trying to use his jacket to shield himself.

"Aren't Time Lords like waterproof or somethin'?" Rose teased, her pale pink tongue sticking out at him. "Superior biology and all that."

"Surprisingly no," the Doctor grumbled. "Although, I think we may need to have a chat about that after this hurricane."

Rose laughed, the sound resonating of the trees and into his heart. It was all he could do not to grin. He couldn't. She would mistake that for him enjoying this.

"TARDIS now?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah, I'll make tea."

The Doctor could have groaned aloud for how wonderful a steaming cup of tea sounded right about now. He trudged faster through the forest, as fast as he could without leaving Rose behind.

….

"We're lost," Rose said amusedly.

"Are not," the Doctor huffed. "Know where I parked it, superior Time Lord brain." He tapped his head to emphasize his point.

"And apparently all that extra space, means more room for forgettin'," she teased, bumping into his shoulder lightly.

He was so caught of guard that he stumbled.

"What about over there?" Rose asked, squinting at something in the distance.

"What about where?" he asked, annoyed. "I can't see anythin'."

She walked up behind him, moving his head to her line of sight. "That shape, in the distance. It looks like a cabin or somethin'."

"There haven't been inhabitants here for a hundred years," he insisted.

"So, it's abandoned," she shrugged. "More of a chance we can stay. Come on, not much chance of findin' the TARDIS in all this."

The Doctor sighed, and admitted that she was right. They might as well find somewhere dry instead of mucking about in this weather.

They wandered for a little while longer, until the cabin was right in front of them. It looked cozy enough. Maybe there was still some wood for a fire.

Rose walked up to the door first. She tried to open it, and to their surprise it opened easily. It was warm inside, but quite a bit dusty and littered with cobwebs.

"Achoo!" the Doctor sneezed.

She laughed. "That's the first time I've ever heard ya sneeze."

"Well, it's a bit dusty, don't'cha think?" he huffed.

She nodded. They walked further into the cabin, shutting the door. It was quite small, with a bed and a kitchen all in the same area. A broom stood in one corner. The oven took up practically a quarter of the room.

Rose screamed, and the Doctor threw her behind his body faster than you could say Dalek.

"What? What is it?" he asked breathlessly.

"Spiders!" she exclaimed, pointing at the large web that had been in front of her face with an equally large spider in the middle.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I thought there was a real threat. If the spiders really bother you that much, I'll use that broom."

She looked at him gratefully. "Thanks."

He nodded, and picked up the broom, twisting his hands around the handle tightly. He worked quickly and efficiently sweeping all the cobwebs from the ceiling, and smashing the spiders that were threatening to go near Rose.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much," she said sincerely. "Now, what are the chances of food, d'you think? I'm starved."

…..

There was no food. There was, however, a small garden right outside. The problem was it was still raining, and Rose said she didn't want to go out now that she was nice and dry.

"See, I told ya the rain wasn't very nice," the Doctor gloated.

"Shouldn't you get the food?" she asked. "Bein' the man and all?"

"I'm not a man," he pointed out. "I'm an alien."

"But ya look like a man!" she said. "Doesn't that count for somethin'?"

He huffed. "Fine, I'll get the stupid food. But I should get somethin' for it."

"Like what?" she asked, amusement dancing in her eyes. "A kiss?"

Her hand clapped over her mouth before the air was knocked out of his lungs.

"A _what_?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Uhm, nothin'. Was just. Nevermind. Can ya please get the food? I'll let ya pick first or have the bed or or somethin'."

The Doctor nodded. "Right. Okay. Be back in a moment."

…

After the pair had choked down a few carrots and peas the Doctor had managed to scrape up from the garden, the task of deciding where they were going to sleep popped up.

"You get the bed, obviously," he said like it wasn't a question.

"I really don't mind the floor," Rose insisted. "Used to sleep on it for sleepovers all the time, yeah?"

"'cept this isn't a sleepover," the Doctor protested. "We're stranded on an alien planet for the night."

"It's sort of the same thing," she teased, her tongue poking through her teeth. "Why don't we share?" she blurted out, her cheeks reddening, as if realizing what she had said.

"Are ya...I mean-you want to?" he asked, strangely hopeful she would say yes. Why did he want to share the small space with his pink and yellow human? Well, he already knew the answer, but he wasn't going to admit it.

Rose beamed, encouraged from his comment. "Yeah, definitely! I think it's the only fair way."

The Doctor swallowed. "Right then. I suppose we might as well go to sleep. Long day ahead of us tomorrow.

She nodded, looking down at the floor. Did she regret asking him to share the bed with her now that he had gone and actually agreed to it? But she had looked so happy….

Rose bit her lip and slid her jacket off her shoulders, placing it lightly over the back of a chair. She looked up at him. "What side d'you want?"

"Oh, whichever you don't," he said quickly, shrugging out of his own leather jacket and placing it beside Rose's.

She walked around and around the bed, thinking deeply. Finally, she spoke up. "This side," she said determinedly, kicking off her shoes and socks and slipping under the covers.

The Doctor gulped and took off his boots and socks. This was the most comfortable he had ever gotten around a companion, and he was scared. Rose wasn't just any old companion, she was special. He really hoped that nothing happened tonight to overstep his boundaries and send her packing straight back to her mother's flat.

She didn't seem to be looking at him. In fact, she looked rather calm, curled on her side and eyes closed.

"I'm goin' to get in the bed now," he said nonchalantly, but inside of him, his hearts were pounding louder than the heavy rainfall outside.

"Kay," she said softly, not opening her eyes.

The Doctor gingerly peeled the covers back and sat down carefully. He pushed himself into laying down on the bed, and he made sure there was at least a foot between all of his body parts and Rose's.

They lay in silence for a while, before Rose suddenly flipped over to face him.

He pretended not to notice, and stared at the ceiling.

"Can I curl into ya?" she asked. "This pillow's kinda hard over here."

He knew what the proper answer was._ Here, take my pillow instead Rose. Trade off._ But instead, he said, "Of course you can, Rose." He rolled towards her and opened his arms invitingly.

She looked at him hesitantly for a moment before scooting closer to him until she was close enough to touch his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and unless he was mistaken she was making a noise of content.

"Thanks," Rose said sincerely. "Much more comfortable."

"No problem," he said gruffly. Although, if he was being honest with himself it was more comfortable. In fact, why hadn't they done this cuddling business sooner? Rose was warm, she smelled nice, she was soft…_oh_. That was why.

An uncomfortable warmth wracked through his body at their contact. A part of himself he thought was long asleep, because Time Lords didn't_ need_ all that primitive human stuff. Apparently he did.

The Doctor tried to shift subtly so it wouldn't seem obvious to what he was doing, and she wouldn't notice because, _gods_, she would never let him live that down, and if that didn't send her packing. He didn't know what would.

However, it seemed he needn't have bothered. The human girl in question was snoring softly on his arm, and he couldn't help but smile.

_Let the rain fall_, he thought to himself. _Tonight maybe she'll let me sleep peacefully._


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Apparently I did something right with that last chapter, there were so many new follows, favorites, and reviews! Thank you all :)

_"I'm going wherever you are."_

Rose had been quiet ever since they had left Raxicoricofallipatorius. Jack was actually the first to point it out, he noted, irritated. Rose was supposed to be his best friend, and he was terrible at knowing when something was wrong.

So, when Jack suggested they take some stress off their shoulders for once, and go to a nightclub, the Doctor agreed for some unknown reason. Maybe it was the light in Rose's eyes when he said okay. Maybe it was the chance to show her that he did dance, and not just on the dancefloor. It looked like things were over between her and Rickey at any rate.

But he did not expect her to come out looking like_ that_. Her dress was a pale gold to match her hair, and just the slightest shimmer accompanied it. It had a low neckline, a high neckline, and from what he could see, emphasized her curves quite well. A little _too_ well, actually.

Jack whistled. "Wow, Rosie. You look beautiful."

Her cheeks flushed pink, and the Doctor mentally kicked himself.

"You really do," he said sincerely, and Rose's gaze shifted to him, and she beamed. It warmed both of his hearts.

"For a human?" she asked.

"Nah." He shook his head. "Beautiful in any standard." And he gave her his most daft, silliest grin. The one that always made her giggle.

Jack patted him on the shoulder and nodded. Did that mean good job? He was terrible at reading humans.

"Are we gonna go?" the Doctor asked, suddenly anxious to have Rose on his arm and let everyone know she was with him.

"Yeah!" she said brightly. She walked down into the console room, and what the Doctor saw next made him hiss.

Bright red hand prints decorated her neck. How had he not seen them before? _The scarf_, he thought to himself. If he wouldn't have been so distracted with fixing his stupid ship, he would have thought to check her.

He gently touched the marks. "Are ya okay?" he asked concernedly.

She nodded. "Doesn't hurt," she replied. "She just left a nasty mark, yeah?"

The Doctor nodded angrily. "I promise no one will ever do that to ya again, Rose."

She gripped his arm and smiled. "I know."

Just like she always did, her complete trust in him left him breathless.

Jack cleared his throat. "If you two are done over there, I'd kind of like a drink if you don't mind."

They laughed at that, and Rose took each of them on her arm.

"Off we go then," she said.

….

The nightclub Jack had suggested was loud and obnoxious.

The bass from the music pounded all the way down the block, and the lights could probably blind anyone.

"I can see we didn't make a wrong turn, then," Rose teased.

The Doctor harrumphed.

"Ya don't have to go, if ya don't want," she said to him softly. "We'll just come back to the TARDIS when we're done."

Although the idea was tempting to avoid any part of this, the Doctor shook his head quickly. The prospect of any guys hitting on his Rose, or of leaving her alone was too unsavory to justify sitting in his TARDIS alone.

"No," he said firmly. "I wanna go, promise."

Rose nodded at that, and pulled them inside.

Just as the Doctor expected, every pair of male eyes descended upon Rose as soon as she walked in. He was plotting the most efficient way to fry every last male's bar in the brain. Almost as if he could read the Time Lord's mind, Jack backed away quickly.

"Why don't you guys find us a table? I'll get the drinks."

He nodded. "Sure."

Rose gripped his hand lightly and led him over towards the corner of the room. They sat down, and the Doctor tried not to notice the tantalizing neck that was exposed, the skin that dipped down towards the neckline of the dress, and a peek of-

"Got the drinks, Doc," Jack said, slamming some glasses on the table.

He nodded gratefully, and chugged his in two seconds flat.

Rose's eyebrows shot up in amusement. "Someone's tense," she commented.

"I think I know why," Jack implied, winking, causing both of them to blush bright red.

They sat in unusual silence for a while, before a guy came up to their table. He was pretty, the Doctor noted with annoyance.

"D'you wanna dance?" the guy asked, gaze fixed on Rose's cleavage, and the Doctor's blood boiled.

Jack swept in. "You don't want to go there, trust me. Dance with me instead." And just like that Jack rushed off with the bloke, all charm and smiles, and for once the Doctor didn't mind his flirty personality.

"The right time and place," he muttered.

"D'you wanna dance?" Rose asked the Doctor, surprising him.

"W-what?" he stuttered.

"Ya know, dance. With me?" she asked.

"Like that?" he asked, pointing disdainfully at the writhing bodies in front of them.

"Doesn't have to be," she shrugged.

He inhaled a shaky breath and then downed the rest of Jack's drink as well. "Alright." He took her hand in his and led them away towards the crowd.

The song was fast paced, and the volume was so loud he could feel it painfully beating through his hearts.

"Can't someone turn this down?" he grumbled.

"What?" Rose shouted.

He shook his head, and twirled her around, causing her to throw her head back in laughter. She placed her hands on his neck and on his waist and he did the same to her.

"And no reachin' 'round, if ya know what I mean," Rose teased, sticking her tongue out.

He turned red, and mumbled. They danced close together, and she leaned her head against him. _This was actually nice_, the Doctor thought, _but he would only do this with Rose, and only because she asked_.

"Excuse me, old man, but I think I should cut in. We all know you're too old for her," someone from behind them said.

The Doctor turned around quickly, his nostrils flaring. The bloke in question was smirking, knowing that he would win. In his dreams.

The Doctor snorted. "I'm sure she doesn't wanna dance with a twelve year old, thanks."

"Oi!" Rose protested, and he turned back to her guiltily. "She's right here, and she doesn't wanna dance with ya," she told the bloke angrily.

The Doctor grinned in triumph, waving the bloke off. But his comment has stung. His hands around Rose tensed. He backed away from her a few steps. What was he doing? This was so wrong. She was only _nineteen_, and he was a nine hundred year old Time Lord.

Rose put a hand on his cheek. "Hey," she said softly. "Look at me."

He looked at her, gulping.

"Don't listen to that bloke, yeah? He was daft, and only tryin' to get a rise outta ya. 'Sides, I'm with you, aren't I?"

He sighed. "Suppose."

"Is this about the age comment?" she asked.

He just nodded.

"I'm goin' wherever you are," she insisted, entwining their hands together. "I'm here to stay with ya, forever. And Mickey knew that, that's why he ran off. It's you, and it's always gonna be you."

Something primal in the Doctor flared at her comment, and before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her close to him, crushing their lips together in a fierce kiss.

Rose responded to him enthusiastically, her hands coming up to the back of his head, running them over his closely cropped hair.

_His Rose, his, and no one else's forever_, he said to himself.

He broke the kiss only to murmur, "Mine," before crashing his lips into hers once more.

She nodded eagerly, although if it was in response to what he said or the kiss, he wasn't sure.

She broke away from him, gasping. "That was…"

"Fantastic?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah," she grinned brightly, and pulled him towards her once more.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Thank you Yhoretta, Lady-Fire01, pokegirl2, GitaMerah, and TiaKisu for following/favoriting this story! I think Nine and Rose's relationship is a difficult one, to answer your review TiaKisu. Even though he has these feelings for her, he's too insecure in his looks to tell her. All he knows is her bringing pretty boys along, and he doesn't want Rose to get the brunt of disgust if she went out with someone who looks old enough to be her dad. At the same time, you have Rose that doesn't care, she just loves him and wants him to love her as well. Purple Guest, he would do anything to make her happy! And I like possessive!Doctor stories as well ;D

_"Everything does not happen for a reason!"_

The Doctor had taken Rose back home to visit her mother, and he already wished he didn't. Jackie Tyler had been badgering him with questions all night, much to his disappointment, and Rose didn't look too happy either.

"So, did ya do anythin' to my daughter? Ya better not have!" Jackie exclaimed.

Rose turned to her mother in horror. "Mum, that's none of your business!"

"What are ya on about? Of course it is!" she insisted.

The Doctor sighed. He had kissed Rose, a proper snog, too. Can't tell Jackie Tyler that, and he didn't think Rose would either.

"Mum," she pleaded, "it's late, let's go to bed, yeah?"

Her mother huffed. "Fine." She wagged her finger at the Doctor. "But don't think this is over. Ill just ask ya at breakfast."

The Doctor and Rose both groaned at the same time. They all got up from the couch to go to their sleeping areas, Rose to her room, her mother to her's, and the Doctor to the TARDIS.

"Wait," she said suddenly, turning back towards him. "Mum, let him sleep on the couch, please?"

Jackie turned back to her, her eyes blazing. "What would I go an' do a thing like that for?"

"I'd feel better with him there," she insisted. "Please, it's been a rough week, mum. He's only gonna be on the couch, promise."

Her mother sighed. "Fine, himself can stay _on the couch_, mind you, and don't think I won't check!" She stomped off towards her bathroom.

The Doctor stood there with his mouth open. "No," he said in horror. "No way am I stayin' in Jackie Tyler's flat, Rose."

"Oh, come on," Rose said. "It's not so bad. Just stay for me, please?" And she looked at him with that look, and he sighed.

"'Course I will, Rose."

"You wanna use the bathroom first?" she asked. "Get more comfortable? I got a spare toothbrush in there that's never been used."

He nodded. "Alright, won't be long."

…

There was something wrong when he came out. Rose and her mother were talking in the kitchen in whispers, which meant they were talking about him.

He crept closer towards the archway, listening carefully.

"Maybe it's for the best, sweetheart," Jackie said. "He's not exactly for ya, is he?"

"How would you know?" Rose asked angrily.

"I just don't want ya to get weird looks, Rose, s'all. He looks old enough to be your dad."

"But he's _not_, mum," she said firmly.

"Everything happens for a reason. Maybe it's not meant to be."

"Everything does _not_ happen for a reason!" Rose hissed, and the Doctor raced back to the couch, sensing Rose was about to burst out into the hallway.

She slammed the door to the bathroom, and he contemplated if he should follow her. They always got ready for bed together on the TARDIS, after all. But this wasn't his ship, and Jackie wouldn't approve.

_Ah, piss on Jackie_, he thought to himself, _she made Rose that upset by talkin' about him._

He looked up towards the kitchen as Jackie came in looking at him sheepishly, and then she darted into her bedroom, shutting the door.

He rolled his eyes. Typical humans. They can talk about you all they want when you're not there, but then can't look you straight in the face.

Rose emerged from the bathroom, her eyes rimmed in pink like she had been crying. She headed towards his spot on the couch immediately. He held out his arms effortlessly, and she walked into them.

The Doctor rubbed soothing circles on her back and she lifted her head up to look at him.

"Are we friends?" she asked him.

"'Course we are," he said brightly. "Where would ya go gettin' an idea we're not?"

"But-" she trailed off, her eyes shining with new tears.

"Hey," the Doctor said softly. "Out with it. Ya know ya can talk to me 'bout anythin'."

"S'just. What about yesterday?" she asked quietly.

His arms tensed around her. "Ya mean the kiss?"

Rose nodded against his chest.

He picked her up gently and placed her in his lap. He kissed her forehead lightly. "That's up to you, daft girl."

"Shouldn't it be up to you?" she asked, her forehead furrowing in the middle.

"Well," he started carefully, "what I want, and what you want might be different."

"Why don't ya tell me what ya want first?" she asked.

"I want you," he said quietly, looking down at her lap.

"Me?" she asked, hopefully.

"Yeah."

"You already have me," she insisted.

"That's not what I meant." The Doctor shook his head. He took one of her hands. "I want more with ya, than bein' friends. But I know I can't." His throat tightened uncomfortably, and he just wanted to go back to the TARDIS away from her more than anything, just to not see her disgusted look.

She clung to his shoulders tightly. "I want you, too," she mumbled against his jumper.

His breath caught. "D'you know what you're gettin' into? You might get looks, your mum was right. And I'm so much older than ya-"

"I don't care if they stare," she said firmly. "You're my Doctor."

He kissed her softly at that.

"Can I watch tv with ya?" she asked. "I can't sleep just yet."

He beamed at her. "Yeah."

She got up to turn the tv on and then said, "You can lay down and get comfortable. We can cuddle, yeah?"

His face lit up. "You want to?"

She rolled her eyes. "You really are new to this whole relationship thing, aren't ya, ya daft old alien?"

He scoffed. "So?"

"So...couples cuddle."

"But, we've cuddled before," he insisted.

"Well, now you get to do it more often," she pointed out.

He laid down on the couch and opened his arms. Rose snuggled into him and they watched the telly together.

….

"Rose, how long d'you wanna stay with me?" he asked her softly, hours later.

The only reply he got was a soft snore, and he smiled.

"Better get ya to bed or your mother will be slappin' me in the mornin'," he told the sleeping girl. He picked her up carefully and carried her to her room. He tucked the girl into bed and placed a kiss to her forehead.

"Tomorrow we'll go somewhere fantastic," he promised.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews for this story! I really appreciate you taking the time to read my story, and I hope you continue enjoying to do so.

_The Doctor tells Rose about a childhood memory._

"Okay, so, I was 'bout nine, right? And Mickey and me thought we could pretend to be secret agents like Bond, 'cause we thought somethin' was funny about Miss Petunia across the street. So we get all this gear, which is basically just binoculars and makeshift tools with kitchen utensils, and we crouch in her rose bushes 'cause we were just little kids and didn't know they had thorns-"

The Doctor visibly winced.

"We gave Miss Petunia quite the shock when we came runnin' out of the bushes like we was set on fire, holdin' our bums as we went."

They laughed so hard together, the Doctor was clutching his sides. "Did ya ever find out what was funny 'bout her?" he asked.

"Nah," Rose shook her head. "Probly was nothin', we were just kids."

They sat in silence for a moment before she spoke again. "Alright, you promised," she insisted. "A story for a story, which means ya gotta tell me one about your childhood now."

The Doctor's face immediately lost any trace of laughter. "Wouldn't ya rather know about one of my adventures?"

She rolled her eyes. "Think I've heard about all of 'em about twice now."

"Somethin' else?" he pleaded.

"Nope." Rose crossed her arms over her chest. "You promised."

The Doctor sighed. "Fine. I had a best friend once-"

"Once?" she teased, "Implyin' what? You don't have one anymore?"

"'Sides you," he replied, "And you're more than that now, aren't ya?"

She blushed a pleasant shade of pink. "S'pose."

"Anyways," he continued, "We were best friends all through school, and one day he invited me to come with him to see somethin' he promised was gonna be fantastic. So, I did. We walked through the city towards the Council of Gallifrey, and I whispered, 'What are we doin' here?' Then he said he was gonna show me the source of his beatin' drums. The drums-" the Doctor paused and sighed.

"He got in an accident, ya see, when he was eight, never was right since. But I tried with him, tried to get him better. He kept insistin' they were in his head, but no one else heard anythin'. And then we went into the Council Room, he insisted he speak to them, and they looked at us. Both of us. But especially at me, like they were scared of me, only I hadn't done anythin' yet. My friend demanded they tell him what was wrong, but they only laughed. Laughed us straight out of the room, they did. He ran away from me sayin' 'I know you feel the same way, too!' and I never saw him again on Gallifrey. The next time we met, we were enemies."

Rose let out a shaky breath beside him. "That's your childhood memory?"

He shrugged. "It's the only real important one. 'Sides, the further I got away from Gallifrey, the less good things I could remember about it."

She looked at him, concern in her eyes, and placed an arm on his. "I'm sorry."

Usually, the Doctor hated that word. It sounded false and harsh coming from someone else's mouth. They hadn't known what he did, they didn't know what it was like, the screaming….but it was different with Rose.

Sincerity seemed to ring through her with everything she did, everything she said, and he knew she truly meant it. She didn't have to know everything, and even if she did, the Doctor knew she would accept him and still love him anyways. She baffled him, and he was taken aback by this small Earth girl for what had seemed like the millionth time.

"Thank you," he said honestly. He wrapped her in his arms, and they stayed like that for a long time.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: This is just a general note to all my fanfictions currently in progress. I'm sorry if you were excited about this being a new chapter xD And I'm also sorry, because I know you're technically not supposed to post an entire chapter with just an author's note, but in this case, it was needed. I just wanted to let you guys know, I haven't died, or abandoned this fanfiction right in the middle of the chapters. I have just had final exams, work, and other obligations tying me down. But now, school is over for three months, and I'll have four days off next week from work. So, during that time, all my fanfictions will be updated if they are still in progress. Thank you for your understanding, and thank all the lovely people who have followed, favorited, and reviewed. It's you that keeps me writing :)


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Yay, I can finally write again! If you've favorited/followed since the new chapter, please PM me, so I can mention you in the next chapter. I don't want to leave anyone out D: Or if you had a review with a question, PM the question and I will answer the question.

_Petals strewn on the floor_

Something was definitely up with the Doctor, Rose decided.

For starters, he insisted she sleep in this morning, and that he wouldn't take her on any dangerous missions at all, like she had been asking for a couple weeks. But, like he always pouted to her, was it really his fault that everywhere they went, trouble seemed to follow?

Then, Rose was woken from this "sleep in" by the loudest sound she had ever heard in history. It sounded like a mixture between a grand piano being pushed down the stairs, and a parrot losing its mind.

She groaned and threw the duvet off her body, wondering just what her Time Lord had gotten himself into this time. "Doctor?" she called from her door. "What on Earth are you doing?"

"Fine, Rose," he answered a question she hadn't even answered, "Go back to sleep. Don't come out here, please."

She put her hands on her hips in defiance. "Why?" she retorted. "Is there a Dalek in the console room?"

"No," he huffed, like that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever said. "We seemed to have run into some difficulties with the TARDIS and there are pieces all over the place. Too dangerous for ya to come in here right now."

"Is that what the God awful noise was?" she asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said a bit too quickly.

"What about the library?" she asked suddenly. "Can I go into the library?"

"No!" he exclaimed.

"No?" Rose asked suspiciously.

"I mean, the TARDIS is in such a bad state it is moving its rooms all 'round, Rose. Can't risk the chance of losin' ya, can we?"

"How come ya never told me 'bout this before?" she asked.

"Never had to," the Doctor replied.

Rose sighed in annoyance. "Fine, I'm goin' back in my room to sleep. But I swear, if ya make any more loud noises, I will burst into that room, dangerous or no."

The Doctor groaned.

She smiled at that, and shut the door firmly behind her.

…

The next time Rose woke up, it was to the sound of something burning.

"Doctor, are ya tryin' to cook again?" she shouted.

"Nope!" he exclaimed. "That's just the engines, told ya it was terrible."

"Maybe I should have a loo-"

"No!" the Doctor interrupted. "I got it under control, Rose, promise. Why don't ya go read or somethin'?"

"I can go to the library, then?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

With the stamp of approval, Rose walked off towards the library in question.

…..

She was startled from Pride and Prejudice from the loud ring of her mobile. She pulled it out of her pocket, and was confused to see Tardis labeled across the front.

"Hello? Doctor?" she answered.

"Rose, go to the wardrobe room," the Doctor commanded.

"To the wardrobe room?" she asked. "For what? Why didn't ya just come in here and ask?"

He sighed. "Just do it, please."

She snapped the phone shut and quickly made her way for the wardrobe room. Her eyes were drawn to a simple black lace dress with a note stuck to the front.

Rose, put this on.

Okay, now something was definitely up. The Doctor was picking her clothes, telling her weird things, and making loud noises.

She hurriedly dressed and rushed out to the hallway to the console room to confront him, only to find petals strewn all over the floor.

A delicate swirl of circles and dots covered the console room floor, leading out towards the front door, which was open.

Rose stepped gingerly around the patterns, having a feeling they were meant to spell out something in the Doctor's native language. She followed the petals until they came to a stop. She looked up to see the Doctor leaning against the Eiffel Tower, a new jumper on, and a big, silly grin on his face.

"What's all this?" she asked in surprise.

"Valentine's Day," he told her. "This is what couples do, right? Plan stuff for each other on this silly Earth holiday?"

"It was Valentine's and you didn't tell me?" she asked, panic in her voice.

"It's okay," the Doctor assured, walking over towards her. "Come with me."

He took her hand gently, just like the first time he had whispered "Run!" to her. They walked under the tower, until a grand piano and a small table decorated with candles came into view.

"So that was a piano I heard," she mumbled.

"Yep, my first piano, to be exact. Wouldn't believe how hard it was to get down here though." He paused, and turned to face Rose now. He tugged on his ears uncomfortably. "Did I do okay?" he asked. "Bit new to this stuff, and you know I'm not good with domestics and stuff. But I tried, for you."

She smiled at him. "It's perfect," she assured.

"Really?" he asked hopefully, and Rose could see that even if their relationship had taken on a new level, the Doctor was still insecure in her feelings for him. He was still feeling unworthy of her love.

"Come here, you," she said softly.

The Doctor inched towards her reluctantly, and Rose placed her lips lightly on his. His surprise was evident, his hands moving erratically at first, unsure of where they should rest. She directed them to her waist, and hummed contently in his mouth.

He pulled back. "So, not a bad life?" he asked.

"Better with two," she grinned, saying the exact same thing she had told him at the beginning, and the exact same thing she would say forever.


End file.
